At war with myself
by HuddyJibbsAddict
Summary: A very specific agenda brought the Evil Queen to Storybrooke. She enlists Regina into helping her bringing a certain Thief back but will he be the same man Regina loved? Or will he be changed by his time away? SplitQueen, EvilOutlawQueen, rated M as of chapter 4
1. Prologue

_A/N: With the new season launched and Lana's amazing double act, this idea of how the Queen and Regina could work together to bring back Robin started to grow and took over my muse, so here I give you the prologue. Tell me if you're interested in more :) A big thanks to my darling Manon for the beta work (also I can be found on twitter at thisisamadhous3 if you want to come and say hi)_

* * *

 **Prologue**

She should have known it couldn't be that simple, she should have known that even after going through the agony of literally splitting herself in two and crushing the heart of her darker self, it couldn't just be the end of it. Things never worked out that way for her, she should know better by now. What kind of hope was she clinging to when she had just lost her soulmate, the love of her life, killed in front of her, for her, for the second time, and the only thing that came of his sacrifice was Hook's return?

She was delusional to believe she would manage to rid herself of that darkness which scared her so much, that part of her she feared would come out in her grief. Her corrupted, heartless, evil half was currently standing right in front of her, casting dark spells after dark spells, and Regina was trying to give her as good as she got, but her light magic was still shaky, her spirit hadn't been in it lately to train, and she could feel her energy depleting rapidly. She feared she would have to revert to old techniques, but the Evil Queen solved that dilemma for her and sent an unexpectedly strong wave of magic that knocked the breath out of her.

Regina lost sight of the Queen for a second and it was all it took the other woman to reappear behind her. She encircled Regina's waist with one arm, effectively trapping both her arms by her sides, and she grabbed her throat with her other hand.

"Stop fighting me, you foolish girl," the Queen growled in Regina's ear. "Don't you understand I only want to help?"

Regina froze, stopping her struggle against the Queen's hold. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

"You don't get it, do you? The reason I'm here, why you couldn't destroy me? There is a purpose to all that," the Queen trailed off, letting it hang in the air between them, enjoying the obvious confusion emanating from Regina, who stayed silent, wracking her brain for an explanation.

"I'm here to bring him back," the Queen revealed in a whisper, her lips pressed against Regina's ear, and all fight left the struggling brunette as she went slack in the Queen's hold.

"That's impossible," Regina objected, her voice broken, her eyes closed trying to keep at bay the memories of sleepless nights spent going through every book in her possession for a way to revive a lost soulmate. "He's gone, destroyed into nothingness. I tried…"

"Not hard enough," the Queen cut her off, suddenly angry, all her perverse playfulness gone. "It is so obvious you can't see it," she spat, curling her lips in disappointment, and though Regina couldn't see her the tone was all too familiar, sending her back to childhood memories and never feeling good enough.

"His body is still there, I know you preserved it," the Queen continued, oblivious or all too knowing, Regina couldn't say. "And his soul, well his soul is right there, with us, in us. What more could we possibly need?"

"Bringing people back from the dead goes against every law of magic. Look at what happened to Daniel!" Regina exclaimed, finally managing to break free and turning towards the Queen. "I would never want something like that for Robin. As much as his absence hurt I couldn't do that to him."

"That wasn't magic," the Queen brushed off with a gesture of her hand. "That was the desperate attempt of a mad scientist. The laws of magic have been flung out the window a long time ago when it comes to some people remaining dead. Look at Rumple, and Charming, and Hook," the third name was pronounced with all the contempt and bitterness that she was capable of mustering.

"And look where that led us," Regina replied.

"That's my point exactly," the Queen argued. "Robin should never have died and we can make it right. Don't tell me you think it's fair that Hook got a free pass from Zeus when Robin didn't even get the chance to name his daughter! By the way, were you high when you let Zelena choose? What were you thinking?"

It seemed unreal to Regina to have to justify herself to what was essentially a part of herself given form. "It wasn't exactly the easiest time for me," she settled on saying.

The Queen simply rolled her eyes before continuing. "I just want you to imagine what we could do together. Your light and my darkness united, we would be invincible, unstoppable. The laws of magic would mean nothing to us. My very presence here is contrary to the laws, a magical essence as powerful as yours divided? Oh my, the elders would have a fit, if they weren't all dead and buried of course," she added as an afterthought.

"This is why I couldn't destroy you? Because you are a part of my magical essence?" Regina realised.

"Wherever you are, so am I. Did you really think it was going to be that easy to get rid of me? Please, dear, this plan was launched by Snow White and her pretend Savior daughter, when have that ever be known to work?" The Queen smirked. "Think about what I said, we could do great things together." And she disappeared in a cloud of deep purple smoke, leaving Regina behind, her mind swirling with possibilities.


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: Thank you so much for the response to the prologue! I loved your reviews and I hope you'll stick around for the ride. Another short chapter before the action really starts. Shorter but faster updates is my goal, let's cross fingers that I can manage it :D Shoutout to Lillie Grey & Lolymoon for their help and support. Enjoy!_

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Chapter 1

Regina decided to walk back home. Even though she was exhausted after her confrontation with the Queen, she needed the journey to unwind. Henry was with Emma anyway so she wouldn't be missed. She strolled aimlessly in the darkness, the moon her only guide, not looking where she was going, until she found herself standing in front of Robin's grave.

Maybe it hadn't been so aimless after all. The beautiful white stone marking his grave seemed to shine even more in this light. She kneeled down, tracing the top of the monument with the tips of her fingers, the feathers engraved there, the symbol of his tattoo and she placed her whole hand over his name. Her head fell forward, her eyes closed, as she tried to reign in her tears. As she reopened them, she caught sight of a black rose lying on the grass, perfectly preserved.

The Queen had already come here it seemed. Regina picked up the flower, rubbing the velvet like petals between her index and her thumb. It was a strange sensation, to be separated from a part of herself, to know that she was walking around with her face, her voice, her memories, but to have no control over her actions, over her thoughts. She appeared to be ten steps ahead and she had barely been in town a couple of days, Regina felt at a loss, helpless.

She sighed, looking at the stone again, gathering her thoughts, struggling to find the right words to express all she wanted to say. Ever since Robin's death and splitting herself, she felt oddly detached, numb, she had been going through the motions, not really dealing with her grief. She was aware of it, it was there, ever present in the back of her mind, but something prevented her from fully processing it. After her encounter with the Queen, after being in contact with that part of herself again, Regina was beginning to understand that the reason why she couldn't find a way to grieve was because she had always done it with anger and rage before, with plotting revenge and rejoicing in making others suffer as much as she did.

However, she had separated herself from that part of her personality and she had no idea where she was supposed to go from there. Robin would have known, she thought, he had always been more accepting of every part of her than she, or anyone else, was.

"Yes, you would have known what to do," she finally managed to articulate, conjuring a white rose to occupy her fidgeting hands and placing it carefully over the black one. "You probably would have talked me out of doing it in the first place though. You would have said something cheesy and sentimental, like 'You don't need to rid yourself of your darkness, I love all of you just the way you are'. That does sounds like you, doesn't it? You have no idea how much I would give to be able to hear you say it," her voice broke and she pressed a hand over her mouth, her other arm encircling her waist, she desperately tried to swallow the sobs, to keep herself upright and not completely break down here of all places.

"I'm sorry, I should have come earlier but I couldn't bring myself to. It's all so unfair. You shouldn't be here, you should be with Roland and the baby or with your Merry Men, off on some ridiculous adventures you were always telling us about in the Enchanted Forest. You never should have stood in Hades' way, you deserved so much better than what you got because of me. I can't even tell you how Roland is! He is gone, I can't even look after him! And Zelena lost the gift he left behind for me. I can barely stand to be in the same room with her. I have failed you…" Her sobs got the better of her, she lost control and she hated herself for it.

It took her several minutes to pull herself together. "I'm a complete mess as you can see. During the day I manage to fool them, but at night, when I'm all alone, all I think about is you and how you should be here. The Queen says we can bring you back and I don't know what to do. Following her in one of her schemes seems like the mother of all bad ideas, but what if she's right? What if we can bring you back? Wouldn't it be all worth it? I can take whatever she throws at me, and if in the end it means you are back where you belong, what really is there to think about?"

She was rambling and she knew it, she was grasping at straws, waiting for a sign maybe that he could hear her, that he could help, all the while knowing how ridiculous it was. After a moment, she sighed, ready to get up and leave, but something stopped her. A feather slowly descended through the air in front of her, a long black and white feather which touched down just over the two roses.

Regina exhaled, letting out a sob that came from relief and joy this time, a single tear running down her cheek. She picked up the feather and pressed it over her heart. "Thank you," she whispered.

As she returned home, all her research, all her books were gone, replaced with a single tome opened near the middle with a note from the Queen.

 _You will find everything you need in here._

* * *

The Queen was disappointed. She had thought that this town would offer her more amusement. She had some fun of course, reenacting old fantasies with Rumple, parading around with Hyde for a short time, a match made in hell, and, most of all, playing Zelena like a fiddle. She hadn't anticipated it to be so easy to convince her sister to join her dark side, but then really she shouldn't have been surprised, given the way Regina had pushed her away after Robin's death.

She was playing the long game with Zelena, winning her trust, getting close to her niece to protect that baby whom, on most days, her sister barely seemed to know what to do with. Inserting herself by her side would give her the perfect opportunity to strike when the timing was right.

Which brought her to the reason she was disappointed: Regina, her other, lesser half. She would have thought that Regina would have jumped at the opportunity to bring Robin back but the woman was dragging her feet. A couple of days had passed since she had dropped the book off at the mansion but she hadn't heard from Regina. Actually she knew that the woman had gone back to the vault to look for the books she had originally done her research with. Good thing she had kept them so that Regina wouldn't be tempted.

Still, no news and she wasn't known for her patience. If Regina wasn't going to come to her on her own then she would give her the necessary push, and she knew exactly where to start. Divide and conquer was the key, divide and conquer.


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N: This is probably the fastest I have updated anything in a long while! Thank you for your response to the last chapter, your reviews warmed my heart so much! The action is finally moving here and I would really love to hear what you think about this update! Big thanks to Lillie Grey and Lolymoon for their support mwah :*_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Almost a week after her heart to heart with Robin's grave, Regina had come to a decision, she would to go ahead with the Queen's plan, but she wanted to be sure that she had no other alternatives first. She had raided the library in search of new books since hers had been confiscated, and had spent every evenings after Henry had gone to bed pouring over them with renewed vigour. Since her son was spending the weekend at Emma's place again she had every intentions of finding the final piece of the puzzle, she knew she was close to a breakthrough, she could feel it.

As she parked her car after a long day in the office, she was surprised to find the lights on inside the manor. Looking down the street she noticed a familiar yellow bug and heaved a deep sigh.

"You know when I sacrifice a weekend with my son to your benefit, I actually expect you to spend time with him instead of standing here in my living-room… with your mother," Regina announced, trailing off as she walked in and faced the two home invaders. Both of them were fidgeting while trying to appear determined, and it was such a strange combination that it immediately made Regina head to her liquor cabinet.

"For some reason I feel like whatever this little intervention is about I'm going to need a drink," she stated while pouring herself a glass of cider.

Emma exhaled, looking down at her feet, shuffling them. "Henry was worried about you," she started and Regina snorted in her drink.

"Alright this should be good," she said. "I'll bite. What could he possibly be so worried about that he felt the need to talk to you instead of me?"

Snow gave her a pleading look. "Please Regina, don't react like this. Henry found some books and he was concerned about what you are intending to do, so he came to us. He just wasn't sure how to bring it up to you, and I have to admit that it made us a bit uneasy as well."

Regina put down her glass, leaned back against her cabinet, crossed her arms against her chest and narrowed her eyes at the volume in Snow's hands. It was one of her original ones which she thought had disappeared after the Queen's loot. Henry must have been holding onto it for a while.

"This book is all about spells that could rise up the dead. You are not seriously considering it, are you?" Snow asked, her tone gentle as if she was trying to soften the blow.

Regina's eyes were studying Snow while she reached for her drink, clutching it tightly. She took a long sip and put it back down. "What if I was?" She inquired, a hard edge in her voice that left no doubt that they better tread carefully.

Emma raised her hands defensively. "Hey, don't shoot okay. As we said we're only here because Henry was concerned and didn't know how to approach you. He was afraid you would do something rash because some things in this book are kind of graphic," she winced, inclining her head towards said tome.

"Well then we can end this conversation right here, right now, because I have no intentions of doing anything rash or dangerous, and this is really none of your business. Should I walk you to the door or will you find the way on your own?" Regina replied, losing all patience.

"Regina, please, we only want to help. We know you miss Robin, but this is serious. You're not thinking straight…" Snow implored but Regina cut her off.

"Get out," she demanded, her eyes flashing.

"Regina, just listen for a minute," Emma insisted but Regina raised a hand and the two women were rendered mute.

"No, you listen and you listen well. I haven't asked anything of you, from any of you. I am doing my researches on my own, and whatever I decide to do won't involve anyone but me. I don't need your help, I don't want your help and I certainly don't want your opinion," she enunciated slowly and clearly. "I can't believe you would come into my house and talk to me that way while the only reason you can go home to the person you love is because of me," she added, addressing Snow and then she turned to Emma.

"And you, you… How dare you judge me? How dare you question me after Robin and I went to the Underworld for you? We stood by you even when you decided to bring back someone who had just tried to destroy us all, including our son. You can argue all you want that he was a Dark One and not really himself, but we both know that's not true. He never tried to struggle against the darkness, he let it consume him and we could have all paid the price for it, but still we accompanied you, we supported you, and in the end it caused Robin his life. Are you telling me that Robin is less worth saving than Hook?" She exclaimed. She was pretty much rambling at this point, but now that all the frustrations and buried bitterness of the past few months had come to the surface she found that she couldn't stop.

"Robin was a good man, he left two children behind to save me, he sacrificed himself for me and his soul was destroyed. There is no way in hell that I'm going to just accept it, no way, not until I have tried everything in my power to bring him back, because if there is someone who should be dead it's not him. So now that we have cleared things up, get out of my house," she demanded again, releasing the silencing spell.

Snow was near tears, Emma was shaking her head. "We're sorry Regina, we didn't mean it this way, we just wanted to look out for you," her former stepdaughter whispered.

"I don't need this, Snow, I need you all to back off and trust me, or has everything you've been saying about believing in me was just empty words?" Regina told her and the girl immediately protested.

"Of course it wasn't empty words!" She assured. "We do trust you, we just wanted to be sure you were safe and we probably didn't go at it in a good way. We're leaving and we'll tell Henry that everything is alright. Come on, Emma," she stirred her daughter away.

Regina waited until the door had clicked shut to release the tension in her shoulders, she turned around towards her cabinet, leaning on her hands, her head hanging down, and breathed out slowly.

The sound of hands clapping in the hallway caused her to straighten up instantly.

"I must say I'm impressed. I really didn't think you had it in you anymore," the Queen enthused, smiling widely, clasping her hands together beneath her chin. "I don't think I could have gotten rid of them better myself."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Of course it was you, I should have known. You arranged for Henry to find that book, didn't you?"

The Queen shrugged a shoulder, cocking her head to the side, trying to appear innocent. "You have no proof of that, do you?"

"I don't need proof, I know you, we share a brain remember," Regina snarled.

"No need to get on your high horses, dear, I just thought it was necessary to show you just how _helpful_..." The Queen drawled, using air quotation for the last word. "... your so-called friends are when you really need them."

"Not that I wanted their help in the first place but I think you've proved your point," Regina replied, wrinkling her nose. "You didn't have to use all those theatrics, I was about to come to you anyway."

"Well, good," the Queen cried out, gleefully, tapping the tips of her fingers together. "I saved you a trip. I'm glad we're on the same page because I've got great news. I found the mysterious urn that is essential to accomplish the ritual," she declared, flicking her wrist and said urn appeared in a cloud of smoke.

Regina arched an eyebrow, from her research she had found out that it was near to impossible to get hold of this artefact. "How did you manage that?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, this world has some wonderful inventions, Ebay among others. Do you have any idea what people sell on there without even knowing what they really possess?" The Queen remarked, her eyes widening in disbelief, as she spinned the urn around, studying the hieroglyphs covering it. "Anyway, it's just as well because this is the only remaining one and I got it cheap. So, are you in?" She added, turning to Regina with an intense gaze.

The short-haired woman nodded slowly.

"Marvelous!" The Queen chortled. "Well, we shall reconvene tomorrow before midnight at the cemetery and get this show on the road. Robin has spent far too much time down there already," and with that she vanished.

* * *

Regina joined the Queen at the graveyard the next evening and found her hard at work. She had already digged the ground, uncovered and opened Robin's casket. Regina felt nauseous at the sight of him lying so still.

The Queen was lighting up candles and placing them carefully around the grave when Regina made her presence known.

"Right in time, perfect," the other woman greeted. "Did you read up on the ritual? You know what to expect?" She asked, studying her other half intently.

Regina nodded, her gaze fixed on the coffin.

"This won't be a walk in the parc, you realise that? Are you sure you're ready?" The Queen almost sounded concerned and Regina teared her eyes away from her contemplation and turned her full attention towards her.

"This is for Robin, of course I'm ready," she replied, no hesitation in her voice.

"Well, let's start then, the clock is just about to strike midnight."

They sat cross-legged, facing each other, at the foot of the grave, palms open on their knees, the urn between them. The Queen produced an ancient blade and Regina extended her hand to her. She bit her bottom lip, stifling a hiss as the blade slashed her skin. They exchanged the knife and Regina repeated the action on the other woman. They joined their hands over the urn and let the blood drip into it.

They closed their eyes and started reciting the incantation. Soon, they felt the air shift around them, their hands seemed glued together, their flesh burned but they carried on, knowing that breaking the rhythm would undo the whole ritual.

Their grip tightened as an unnatural wind rose and guttural voices resounded. They didn't understand the words and pushed through, ignoring the pain, even as invisible edges cut into their skin. The voices became louder but they stayed focused. Focused and determined, even as they felt hands squeezing their throats, they continued.

They were tested again and again until it stopped. Suddenly it stopped, only the wind remained. Their hearts were glowing through their chests, white blinding lights rising from them and joining above the urn before heading to the open casket.

It was nearly done, Regina thought, the last phase of the ritual almost complete as they pronounced the final words, but something didn't feel right. Her energy was depleting rapidly, absorbed by the Queen, and as she opened her eyes she could see the bright light, the joined part of their soul linked to Robin, becoming darker.

"What are you doing?" She asked breathlessly, trying to break the connection but the Queen wouldn't let her.

"I'm making him stronger, I'm doing what you proved unfit to do several times: I'm protecting him. Did you really think I would let you have him after everything that happened? You pushed him out of town with that impostor, left him be a prey to our deranged sister, you let him die, one of the very few people who ever truly loved us and you let him be killed," the Queen scathed, her voice like ice, her eyes like steel. "He is better off without you, but don't worry I will take good care of him," she sucked out Regina's remaining strength and watched impassively as she fell to the ground like a ragged doll.

She stood up when she heard a sharp intake of breath coming from the coffin and her face broke into a genuine smile as Robin's eyes opened. He was disoriented, watching his surroundings with wide eyes but when he caught sight of her, he calmed down and sat up.

"My love, my Queen," he rasped, reaching for her and she helped him heave himself up from his wooden prison.

Regina watched helplessly from the ground as they embraced and kissed passionately. She was struggling to remain conscious, to speak, to get Robin's attention, but she was too weak, and this image of the Queen and her Thief was burned into her mind as her world turned black.

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 _Reviews are always appreciated ;)_


	4. Chapter 3

_A/N: Once again thank you so very much for your reviews! They really push me to update as fast as I can (3 weeks isn't that bad for me :D)! I hope you will like what I've done with Robin. You can find the cover for this chapter on my twitter (thisisamadhous3). Big thanks to my darling Em/Lillie Grey for her input, all mistakes are mine. Enjoy!_

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 **Chapter 3**

There was no other places she would rather be than right here in Robin's arms, where she belonged. A hand was gripping his blonde locks while the other was laid on his chest, anchored really, the fingers slightly flexed, feeling the steady and very real heartbeat beneath, as she kissed him with everything she had.

He was far from passive, tugging dark strands from the tight bun she had styled them in so they would fall along her back, an arm circling her waist, pressing her against him, soft curves meeting hard edges in the most delicious way. She moaned in his mouth, feeling his lips stretch into a grin in response. He slid his hand down her waist to her thigh, raising it over his hip and they both groaned at the contact.

Boy, was he distracting! Her weaker half had given up on ever having this again, but from the moment she had been freed the Queen had known she could bring him back. She certainly wasn't going to let some wannabe God with inflammable hair take from her someone so dear and precious, someone who, from the very first moment of their meeting, had stood by her and believed in her more than anyone else in her life had ever done before.

He was attacking her neck now, small, teasing bites and soothing licks, and she wanted nothing more than to let him have his way but it had to wait, there were things that needed to be done first. She tugged lightly on his hair and pressed an index against his lips to cut off his assault. Before she knew it he was sucking on it and she growled.

"How am I supposed to focus when you're doing that?" She wondered out loud and he chuckled, nibbling on her finger, causing his Queen to shiver. "Robin, stop," she demanded, claiming her hand back, lacing their fingers together.

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Tell me this is real," he rasped, his voice broken and rough after having been unused for so long. "Tell me this isn't some cruel trick," he begged her, tightening his grip on her hands to a painful degree.

She inhaled sharply. "Robin, look at me," she requested, seizing his face in her hands when he only shook his head. "This is real. It's all real. I brought you back, Robin, I brought you back."

He reopened his eyes and looked at her, really looked at her for the first time since his soul was returned to him. "You look different," he stated, stroking her cheek gently.

She certainly felt different with him near, calmer, more in control of her raging darkness, but she knew that's not what he was talking about, though she didn't want him to find out about the split just yet, she had angled him so his back was to Regina's still form on the ground for that very reason. "A lot of things happened," the Queen settled on replying. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Alive," he quipped and she smirked. "Stronger," he added and her smile softened.

"May I ask…" She swallowed, hesitating. "May I ask where you were?" She completed, biting her bottom lip as his expression grew gloom.

"Nowhere," he replied after a silent moment. "There was nothing wherever I was, nothing, no one, just darkness and coldness. I don't even know if I even really existed, I didn't need anything, I didn't need to eat, didn't need to sleep. I was just there," he retold this with an haunted look in his eyes and the Queen felt awful for asking.

"It's over now, you're back and I won't let anything happen to you," she whispered against his lips.

He embraced her and they stayed still for a few moments.

"Now what would you say about righting some wrongs around this town? I think there is one baby girl that badly needs you and a certain redheaded witch who should be reminded that there are some things you just can't be forgiven for," she soughed in his ear and she could see the desired effect it had on him, his blue eyes turning a shade darker, his lips tightening in a sneer, his expression hardening. Magical words indeed.

"She is not keeping my daughter another minute if there is anything we can do about it," he vowed and she grinned.

"Oh, believe me, there is plenty we can do about it," she said and narrowed her eyes. "There is something missing," she mused. With a flick of her wrist, his quiver and the golden arrows she had once gifted him in the Enchanted Forest materialized on his back. "Yes, this is much better," she commented. "I think I need something more practical as well," she added, changing into the black and blue dress that had had such an effect on Hyde.

She enjoyed the way Robin looked her up and down, biting his bottom lip, and then surrounded them with purple smoke.

They reappeared outside of the farmhouse and the Queen led Robin to the front door. They made their way to the kitchen where they found the baby in her crib blinking sleepily, playing with her pink blanket. The Queen bent down to pick her up and the infant cooed when she recognized her, instantly wrapping a tiny hand around a lock of jet black hair.

"Ah yes, you are glad to see me, aren't you? But I think there is someone here you will be even happier to meet again," she told her softly, rocking her gently from side to side. The baby was in complete awe of her, wide blue eyes locked on hers, a toothless smile on her lips as she kept tugging on the curl she was holding.

Robin was mesmerized by the scene in front of him and he felt a visceral pull to be closer to two of the people he loved most. He crossed the distance between them and held his breath as Regina placed his daughter in his arms. She fussed a bit at the change but settled down against him easily and he exhaled in relief.

"Hi there, my little darling, it's been a while hasn't it? I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to leave you like that but someone very important to me..." He explained, looking up at Regina, who swallowed hard and gripped his biceps. He smiled reassuringly at her. "... she needed me. I had to save her and I knew that she would look after you." the little girl had stilled completely when he started talking, her mouth forming a perfect O, giving him her full attention. She squealed as he pressed their foreheads together, patting his cheek clumsily, and Robin felt like bursting into tears.

The moment was ruined when Zelena dashed into the room, hastily tying her green robe's belt.

"What are you…" She started to ask but froze at the sight in her kitchen. She had been certain that her sister had once again sneaked into the house but she hadn't expected to see Robin with her. "What… How… What did you do?" She stammered, looking from one to the other in disbelief, inching closer to get her daughter back, but Robin straightened up immediately and the Queen placed herself in front of him in a protective stance.

"What does it look like I did, sis?" The Queen asked mockingly, widening her eyes and tilting her head to the side.

"You have lost your mind!" The redhead exclaimed. "This is impossible and dangerous…"

The Queen arched her eyebrows, a sneer on her full, red lips. "Am I really going to get a lecture from the same person who tried to sacrifice a newborn and her own sister's heart for a time-travelling spell? At least, I didn't hurt anyone," _mostly_ , she added in her mind, thinking about Regina.

"And what do you plan to do now? Take my daughter away from me? I thought we had an understanding!" Zelena questioned desperately and she flinched when her sister burst out laughing.

"You really bought it? My, my, when did you become so clueless? Did you really believe that I would stand by you after everything you've done? Our childhood's memories might have softened me up but nothing can erase what you put us through. You do not deserve that child, not when you tried to use her to destroy us," the brunette retorted, relishing every second of Zelena's distress.

"Robin, you can't let her do this! This is my daughter too, I have been taking of her ever since…" she trailed off, realising it was the wrong thing to say entirely when the former outlaw's features distorted with silent fury.

"Ever since what, hmm?" Robin inquired, eyes blazing with anger. "Ever since I died because you couldn't listen to us for a minute and thought you could trust your crazy boyfriend above us? You have been endangering this child from the very second she was created! And let's talk about that for a moment, her creation. Let's talk about how you deceived me, separated me from the people I care about, from the people I love, impersonated my dead wife just so you could hurt Regina. You think I want someone like you to be in my daughter's life?" He blurted, disgust twisting his expression.

"You say you have been taking care of her? We've been here for ten minutes and you didn't realise it! We could have taken her or harm her and you would be none the wiser, so allow me to doubt your competences. We've been giving you chances after chances and you disappointed us each and every time, I'm done trying." He stood at full height, towering over her, glowering, and even with the baby in his arms, Zelena had never seen him look so intimidating.

She took a step back, there was something in his eyes that made her gulp anxiously, a shadow lurking behind, and she understood that, whatever her sister had done to bring him back, he wasn't the same Robin she had manipulated in the past. This one would have no qualms getting rid of her if she stood in his way. She threw a look towards the Queen who was leaning against her soulmate's shoulder, looking smug and triumphant. The betrayal stung but she felt foolish for believing any part of Regina could treat her like family. She admitted defeat, standing aside to let them go, this wasn't a fight she could win.

They walked past her without looking back, the Queen playfully jiggling the silver rattle she had gifted the baby and Zelena watched the door close behind them, clenching her hands into fists, her nails digging in her skin to keep her emotions at bay.

* * *

"Mom, Mom!" Regina emerged slowly, hearing her son's voice, feeling her body being shaken. She blinked her eyes open, Henry's worried face initially appearing double until she was able to focus on it. "Mom, are you okay?"

She groaned in reply as she straightened up and winced when her muscles protested against the sudden movements. She felt sore and cold after hours spent lying on the ground. She shivered violently and Henry tried to warm her up with a blanket from home.

"Mom, what happened?" He asked her, concern written all over him, holding onto her arms tightly.

Regina bit her bottom lip, looking away and towards the opened caskett, the last part of the ritual was a bit of a blur to her but she remembered clearly the Queen double-crossing her and her embrace with Robin.

"It worked," she whispered.

"What worked?" Snow wondered and Regina realised for the first time that the whole Charming gang was there as well. She held the blanket tighter around her and sighed.

"The Queen and I, we brought Robin back," she confessed, watching as their expressions turned to various versions of shock.

"We had guessed you would attempt something like that but we never thought you could actually succeed," Emma said.

"You worked with the Queen to do it?" Snow inquired, disappointed that Regina hadn't told them she was in contact with her.

The woman in question rolled her eyes at her former stepdaughter's despondent face.

"Don't take it personally, Snow. This was something only she and I could do."

"But Mom, what happened? Where is Robin?" Henry asked, noticing how uncomfortable she looked.

"What I should have expected, the Queen was a step ahead in the game and she left with him. She did something to make him stronger, transferred some of her powers I think," Regina explained.

"What does it mean?" David questioned, uneasy with this little revelation.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, twisting her hands in a rare show of vulnerability. "We are dealing with pretty much uncharted territory here. I don't know how it will affect him."

"It would probably be a good idea to find them sooner rather than later," Emma spoke up. "Any guess where they could have gone?"

Regina thought about it for a moment, wondering what she would do as the Queen newly reunited with her soulmate, and apart from the obvious, she might have an inkling. She nodded at last.

"I think I know."


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: Remember me? It's been a while, sorry about that. The show is back and so am I, though it wasn't intentional but a bad case of writer's block and a newfound obsession for Battlestar Galactica got the better of me. I hope the rating going up for this chapter will make up for the long wait. Thank you to everyone who is still sticking to this story and to the lovely guests who left reviews but whom I can't reply to I hear you and I'm doing my best. Also thank you to Manon for looking this over for me. Enjoy and let me know what you think people :D_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

The Queen, Robin and the baby materialized in the vault, in the middle of a room Robin remembered fondly.

The brunette pressed herself against her thief, running her index up and down his chest slowly. "Well, that little display back there got me all hot and bothered," she soughed in his ear, biting it playfully. "You have no idea how long I have waited to see you stand up to my witch of a sister."

Robin encircled her waist, bringing her even closer. "Now, now, Your Majesty, you need to behave, there is a child in the room," he chastised her, smirking as his daughter blinked slowly and then smacked her lips as she fell asleep.

"Spoilsport," the Queen grumbled, pouting, detaching herself from him and walking further in her Enchanted Forest inspired bedroom. She produced a crib out of thin air and Robin approached it, gently placing the baby inside. The Queen conjured a mobile above the cot, colored crystals that shone as they caught the light, black unicorns and red apples, golden crowns and wooden like bows and arrows, silver rattles and green and brown trees.

Robin was fascinated. "I stand by what I once said: you have the touch of a mother," he told her. "Every single part of you," he added, giving her a meaningful look that caused her breath to catch in her throat.

"You know," she exhaled and he nodded.

"It may have taken me a moment to get my bearings back but I know you. At first I couldn't pinpoint what felt different about you, but I think I figured it out. Something did happen, you're _her_ , this Evil Queen you were always so afraid would come out," he surmised, tilting her chin up, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

She hummed in reply.

"How? Why?" Robin asked, frowning slightly.

"After she lost you, Regina was afraid she would fall back in her dark ways and they came across a man who had created a serum able to contain a person's evil instincts into a separate entity. She thought that by doing this and destroying me she would be safe, but it didn't work, I'm still there," the Queen explained, a storm brewing in her eyes at the memories of the stinging betrayal.

"So there are two of you?" He inquired, biting his bottom lip, intrigued at the idea.

"Didn't you get the part where I said I'm the embodiment of all her malevolence?" She insisted, lifting an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "I don't see it. I see a woman who brought me back and is helping me reunite my family. She doesn't look evil to me." He looked back down at the sleeping infant in her crib with a warm smile. "Talking about family, you never did tell me what my daughter's name is."

The Queen was left speechless at the abrupt change of subject and she stammered with her reply. "You… you don't want to know that, sincerely I have no idea what Regina was thinking when she agreed with Zelena that it was a good idea," she rolled her eyes.

"That bad?" Robin wondered, crinkling his nose, amused by her attitude. He sobered as several thoughts occurred to him, his mind was still a jumble and organizing it was a struggle. "If we didn't go look for Roland, it's because he isn't here, is he?"

She shook her head. "Your men brought him back to the Enchanted Forest during the latest crisis."

His expression darkened, his hands clenched into fists. "They took him from you? That's not what I wanted!" He exclaimed. "I would have never wanted them to do that!"

"It doesn't matter. We will get him back as well," she assured him fiercely, gripping the front of his shirt. "I'm resourceful," she continued, a smouldering look in her eyes, bringing him down to her.

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," he whispered against her lips right before she pressed a bruising kiss against his. He opened his mouth, tasting her, clutching her to him, a hand finding the familiar path to her dark strands, tangling his fingers there. When oxygen became a dire need, he straightened up slightly, panting. "Regina is alright, isn't she?"

She gave him an appraising look, wondering how much she could tell him, but in the end, she decided, what was the point of lying to him? "She will be, I took what I needed from her but she'll live," she answered, rising on her tiptoes, seeking back the lost contact of his lips and he surrendered willingly, letting her walk him away from the crib and towards the huge bed at the other end of the room.

"This is madness," he gasped as his knees hit the edge of the bed and sent him sprawling backwards, and yet, he thought, he couldn't bring himself to stop. This connection he had always felt with Regina, this pull to her was still there, stronger than ever. She wasn't his Regina, but then neither was the other part of her she had left behind.

Regina, the one he knew and loved, was both the hero and the once villain, the good and the atrociously bad, the mother and the murderer, the fierce, feisty Queen and the cool, collected Mayor. From the very first time he had met her it had always been this way, he had very early on reunited the image of the vengeful witch who had destroyed their world and uprooted most of its inhabitants with the grieving, desperate and oh so strong monarch and mother he had rescued one fateful day in the forest. She was everything, but until he could find a way to reunite both parts of her, he would hold on to what he had. He straightened up as she straddled him and crossed her arms behind his neck.

"Would you have me any other way?" She grinned wickedly, and then squealed as he suddenly stood up with her in his arms, his hands holding her beneath her thighs, and turned around to throw her on the bed.

"I guess not," he replied, crawling over her. He became distracted by the sight of her heaving chest, struggling against the cleavage of her dress. He bent down to kiss and nibble at the soft skin, while his right hand wandered further down to open the front of the garment.

"That won't do," she breathed out, swallowing back a moan as he attacked her neck and found a very sensible point. She engulfed them in purple smoke and when it cleared they were both stark naked.

Despite Robin's hungry look as he took in her form, his bottom lip turned down and he bit harder than usual at the tendon of her neck. "Cheater," he growled.

"You would have taken too long," she whimpered, turning her head to give him access to more skin and he wasted no time feasting on it.

"Can you blame me for wanting to prolong this?" He left a trail of fire on her skin, reddening it, as his teeth, his stubble, his lips, made their way from her neck to her jaw before crushing against her own.

After weeks of oblivion, spent in a limbo between worlds, alone and cold, it was close to a high to feel this alive, to feel Regina's soft and supple, and most of all breathing, body against his. Heat was rushing through his veins as she opened her legs, leaving him room to nestle between them. He relished in the sounds she made as he reacquainted himself with her most sensitive spots.

Slowly he made his way down, pausing to swirl his tongue in her navel, grinning when she giggled at the ticklish sensation, he loved that sound most of all. He resumed his journey until he reached her mound. Her breath itched as he pressed a kiss to the soft curls and inhaled her scent. How he had missed this, he thought, how he had missed _everything_.

"You're already dripping for me, my love," he said and she moaned in reply, if he hadn't already been so achingly hard this little noise would certainly have done the job. He continued to press his lips against the most intimate part of her and she opened her legs wider for him.

"My wanton Queen," he smirked. "Trusting a common Thief to make you come apart, are you sure it's wise?" He asked, sneaking his tongue to her clit and she arched her back with a whimper.

"There is nothing common about you," she stammered, throwing an arm over her face as he kept circling her clit. She bit on her bottom lip to the point of drawing blood and gasped when he started nibbling on the little bud.

"That's probably why we get along so well," he nipped a little harder and she was rendered mute, her mouth opening in a silent cry, her back arching even more, her legs shaking, and then he stopped.

She groaned when he gently blew some air on her already oversensitive clit.

"You need to pace yourself, Your Majesty, or we'll be through much faster than I thought," he commented, resting his head on her thigh to watch her reactions, and then he couldn't resist biting it until he left a mark.

"Don't you worry about that," she muttered. "Just don't stop," she grabbed his hair to move his head back to where she needed him most, and he let her.

"As my Queen commands," he declared, more than happy to oblige, and this time his tongue found its way to her opening.

"Oh yes," she sighed as he lapped at her juice and sneaked inside her folds. It was the last articulate words she managed to say, the rest was a jumble of sounds as his skillful tongue built her climax. She tightened her grip on his hair to a painful degree, her other hand bunching the sheet beneath her.

He was enjoying watching her come undone, this mighty, snarky, eloquent Queen of his, slipping further and further towards ecstasy. Her muscles tensed, she cried out his name in a broken voice and he eagerly licked the proof of her release.

He hovered over her as she tried to get her breathing under control and when she opened her eyes, he kissed her, letting her taste herself.

She recovered faster than he expected, and before he knew it, she had flipped them over, and was looking down at him with a huge, satisfied grin as she sat low on his hips.

"You didn't really think you had tired me out, did you?" She whispered hoarsely. He shrugged and she chuckled. "Oh, you're good, there is no question about that, you are really good, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve too," she said and he grunted when she reached behind her back and seized his shaft in her small, lithe hand. "You know, there may be two of us but I remember everything she does, I remember everything you like, every single moment you have lived with her is seared into my brain." she was moving her hand up and down, applying various pressures, as she spoke in a low, seductive voice, rendering him incoherent.

"Every little thing that turns you on I know," she added as she raised on her knees and guided him inside, the sigh she let out as he filled her drowned out by his loud groan. After a few moment of stillness, she squeezed her internal muscles and then started rotating her hips in a well practiced manoeuvre that drove him crazy.

Robin seized her waist, trying to gain some control back but she would have none of it, she grabbed his wrists and raised his arms above his head.

"You had your moment, now I'm in charge," she told him, pushing harder when he tried to struggle under her, surprising him with her strength. She moved then, raising and falling back down when only his tip remained inside her, swivelling her hips.

She could feel the pressure building again and he was right there with her, trying to push up his hips to meet hers despite the iron grip of her thighs on either side of his. He was mumbling her name continuously almost like a prayer and she was relishing it.

"Regina, I'm so close," he grunted and she smirked at having reduced him to such a primitive state.

She brought one of his entrapped arms to her center, guiding the fingers to her clit. Her movements became more erratic, her head fell back, her long hair brushing his legs and she saw white behind her closed eyelids, another orgasm hitting her, triggering his as her walls clasped around his shaft tightly.

Her muscles turned to jelly and she tipped forward until she was resting on his chest, releasing his arms which he immediately brought around her, both of them panting hard.

After a long moment, he cupped the back of her head, his fingers tangling into dark tresses. "Well, Your Majesty, remind me that when it is my time, this is the way I want to go," he chuckled. She raised her head from where it laid beneath his chin and glared weakly. "Too soon?" He guessed.

"It will always be too soon," she replied in a husky voice.

"I couldn't agree more," he assented, pressing his lips to hers in a searing kiss that left them breathless.

The Queen flipped her wrist tiredly to bring a sheet up to cover their bodies as the sweat from their exertion was cooling on their skin.

They stayed silent for a while, she tracing pattern over his chest, pausing every now and then to feel the regular beating of his heart, he tightening his embrace, breathing her in.

"Faith," he said finally, his mind clear and at peace for the first time since his return, and she stilled, a question on the tip of her tongue that she didn't have time to ask. "Her name is Faith, because in spite of everything that happened you and her make me believe that there is still a future for us, for our family, a happiness just within our reach, and we will find it."

She just looked at him, her mind screaming things like "sappy", "cheesy", "maybe you haven't made him as strong and ruthless as you believed" that she couldn't let out. It didn't matter, enough time spent beside her and the darkness she had hooked onto his soul would rear its head again. There was no other way if she was to be sure he would survive.

* * *

During the hours the Charmings spent looking for Regina, dawn had neared and as they made their way to Zelena's farm, the dark sky had receded, a pale light appearing on the horizon.

They pushed the door open slowly, waiting for some sort of magical alarm to be triggered but when nothing happened, Regina understood they were way too late.

They found the redhead seated on the floor of the kitchen, beside an empty cot, her gaze lost as she looked towards the opposite wall.

Regina let out a sigh and it brought her sister out of her trance.

"You came to enjoy the show? Or was there something your dear other half forgot when she took my child?" Zelena lashed out, the effect lessened by her broken voice and her red-rimmed eyes.

"What do you want me to say Zelena? He has as much right to take care of his daughter as you do, at least he already knows how to raise a child. The kitchen, really? That's where you keep her?" Regina retorted, her sister wincing at each sentence.

"Don't bother, I heard it all from _them_ ," she spat. "I'm a failure as a mother so let's give the baby to the Evil Queen, nothing can go wrong then."

"I won't lie, I trust her more with an infant than I do you. She won't hurt her," Regina told the other woman fiercely.

Zelena scoffed. "Trust? You trusted me too before, what happened to that?"

"Robin died," Regina said simply, the redhead gaping at her.

"You still blame me for this? He is back but you still want to punish me for that?" She asked in disbelief.

Regina shook her head and sighed again. "You don't understand, do you? It doesn't matter that he is back, you still killed him, maybe not directly, but you sided with Hades against us after I had stood up to Robin for you, after I had vouched for you, you believed a manipulative, power hungry God and Robin died. There is no going back from that. There will never be any going back from that. We share a mother, you did save me and we were once friends a long time ago, in memory of all that I let you keep Robin's daughter but it was obviously poor judgement on my part. You hurt us enough to negate every good you may have once done and I don't have to forgive you, nor do I want to."

She couldn't possibly know that both Robin and the Queen had used much of the same arguments hours earlier but it was still too much for Zelena.

"GET OUT!" She screamed at her, her nails digging in the skin of her palms. She turned away when she saw the pity in Regina's gaze. "Just get out."

And she did, the others who had remained silent during the exchange following, leaving Zelena alone once more.


End file.
